The concert-drama, Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezín, tells the story of the courageous Jewish prisoners in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp during World War II who, led by conductor Rafael Schächter, performed the famous Verdi Requiem Mass while experiencing the depths of human degradation.
On June 6, Steven Tharp will make his fifth appearance in Defiant Requiem, after previous performances in the United States as well as at the Terezín Memorial. The performance, led by Murry Sidlin, the creator of Defiant Requiem , will take place in St. Vitus' Cathedral in Prague, and will feature the Prague Symphony Orchestra, the Prague Philharmonic Choir and the Kühn Choir. Mr. Tharp's fellow soloists will be Jitka Burgetová, soprano, Veronika Hajnová, mezzo-soprano, and Roman Vocel, bass. Details can be found at Defiantrequiem.org.
PBS recently aired Defiant Requiem: Voices of Resistance , a film documentary exploring the story of Rafael Schächter and his chorus. The film features Mr. Tharp in excerpts from a previous performance of this moving concert drama.